auf wiedersehen!

So my dear friends, it is time for me to fly away from the land of beer and sausage, and make my way back to NYC! Of course, first I will spend 3 glorious days in England with my Ginny no doubt giggling and being silly as always :) I am both sad and excited as i leave here today. Sad to leave of course, and there is always the feeling that you didn't quite do everything that you wanted to do. Excited because I have learned a lot (about Berlin, Europe, and myself) and hope to allow this experience to affect my life back home. This blog was actually very important to me while I was here. It made me happy to feel like i was communicating with you all, and that even though I am far away, there are still people who care :) So, some parting thoughts, feelings, ramblings before i go........

-- I highly recommend Berlin as a city that you must see at some point in your life! The history here is astonishing, you could spend an entire day in just one museum or memorial and still not see it all. The architecture is incredibly diverse ranging from 13th century churches, to Nazi and Socialist era bleakness, to modern sleek glass structures. Of course, scattered around are remains of buildings that were bombed in the war, as well as tons of more modern buildings that are just empty, waiting to be rented. (Probably we should all buy real estate here while it's cheap! No doubt it will take off one day!) The thought that was continually on my mind as I wandered around here, was that so much of what happened here in Berlin happened within the last hundred years! Some of it happened while we were alive, and still life goes on here. Berlin is changing for sure! One gets the feeling that the Berlin you see right now is a fleeting thing. In 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, it will be a whole different place.
--Not just culturally, but also socially is Berlin such an intriguing place. Of course you can party any day of the week, and there is always something going on. Also, just the everyday way that you notice people behaving. Friends meeting for coffee and stying for hours, chatting and laughing. Nobody seems to be in a rush, and honestly, nobody looks stressed out or uptight. Everyone seems to just go with the flow. Of course, I'm sure this is not always the case, it's just what i noticed.
--In my conversations with dancers and other artists here, I have come to really be envious of their lifestyle here. In Europe it is possible to make a living purely pursuing your craft. None of the dancers I met had other jobs. Dancing was their job. Dancing was their work. Sure they don't make so much money, but also, they pay the equivalent of $350 a month to live in a 3 room apartment in the center of town, including everything with a balcony and new appliances. For those of you paying NYC rent, that is astounding! And they all have health insurance. Enough said.
--I really recommend, if you are visiting another country even for a short period of time, that you learn a bit of the language. It really opens so many doors for you! You feel not so afraid to enter a shop or bar, or to ask a question. It also allows you to speak with the local people and get some information that maybe a guide book would not provide you with. It is also interesting (at least to me) to notice the different colloquialisms that are used. You get a sense also of the rhythm of life here by listening to the language.
--Getting hit on at a nude beach is a very interesting experience.
--If there is a German Bakery anywhere near you, run, don't walk there and get some brotchen (rolls) or other pastries.
--If you look like you know what you are doing, people will approach you and ask you questions...mainly "how do I get to......?" If you are lucky, you might even be able to help them :) Also, if you speak to someone in German, they will assume that you know the language and talk very fast to you, prompting the embarrassing "Sprechen sie langsamer bitte. Ich spreche deutsch nicht sehr gut!" (Please speak slower, i don't speak German very well.)
--You can learn a lot from watching episodes of Baywatch and Dharma and Greg in German. Oh that crazy Hasselhof!
--It is so important to get out of the touristy areas when you are vising a place, and to explore a bit where the locals live, and how the locals do things. I think that it really begins to breed tolerance and acceptance of other cultures.
--Americans are loud (me included)

Ok, so there are many more things to say, but I will tell most of you in person when I see you!!!
Thanks for reading my blog.

Schon Tag!
Tschuss!
Jen